[] Intercept the Assassin and get past her. You need to find the Hokkaido girls.
"Stay here!" You said as you moved to the wall and punched through it. Blasting through its surface you ended up in a hall before you moved to punched the next wall before you.
Your senses opened up as you zeroed in where the others were. You could sense six life signs, there were two neutralized bodies. One was the corpse from before while the next one was fresh. Someone died. You could sense the Assassin's movement to your right as she moved slowly but at a consistent pace.
Punching your way through a bedroom, you moved to the other end and kicked down another wall. You immediately came upon a wide hall as Ayana fought against her opponent. She knocked down Tenka's gun before slicing past the other girl's side.
She had a sadistic look on her face before you came barreling in. You jumped to deliver a flying kick at Tenka's head to knock her into the floor.
Landing in a crouch, you turned and fired a bolt of rainbow flames past Ayana and struck Shizuku while Miku fought her off. This allowed the Hokkaido girl to push against her foe and strike back with her daggers.
Ayana lowered her Naginata, "Well now, look who came i-"
You grabbed her by the shirt and uttered your words in such steely tone, "Undo it. Undo this cage you trapped us in. Do it now!"
"So Amane blabbed," Ayana blinked in surprise before she shook her head, "Right. If only because of the friend you brought with you."
You moved and pushed Ayana away as a bullet went between you two. The Assassin lowered her Thompson Contender. She was already in the middle of drawing another weapon before Ana threw her knives first. The Assassin popped out of existence before moving close.
She was right beside you.
She was coming for Nene.
Your fist flew but the Assassin blocked your strike as she faced you. You grit your teeth as you redirected her palm strike and elbow before she swept the ground, forcing you to jump. She sprung up with an uppercut as you punched down to meet her.
She was pushed back as Ayana slammed the blunt end of her weapon on the ground. Yin and Yang flashed beneath her before your world shuddered. Ayana raised her weapon and slashed before splitting the boundaries of worlds itself.
"Return!" Ayana declared before a jolt went through your body and you could hear... People.
You could sense life. You could sense people. There was grief all around you as you found that the hotel floor was reattached to where it had been in reality. Ayana smiled proudly before staggering down her knees.
"Shit..." She breathed.
Miku was blasted backwards by Shizuku's baton. The other girl dashed in towards Nene just as you turned to perform a spinning kick which slammed into her side.
She was sent sliding across the floor just as Ana threw threw knives into her chest. The maid dragged her Leader with her before you felt Ayana's hand behind you.
"Go. Follow them and make sure Nene's safe! I'll keep this asshole busy!" Ayana breathed as she faced the Assassin recovering from your blow.
Ana turned towards you, "Hurry!"'
You ran.
Ayana faced the Assassin as a bead of sweat slid down her face, "Right. Finally caught you, bitch."
The Assassin said nothing and merely stared with her blank welding mask.
"I might actually lose this one. So go easy on me," Ayana smirked as a yin yang symbol burst behind her as she moved.
The Assassin drew her rusted weapon and fought.
.....
....
...
You climbed the stairs with Nene and Ana to escape the Assassin. You didn't know how long you could do this but it was clear that she'll be going after Nene. She was an executive, it lined up with her modus operandi but it seemed that she's out to kill rather than take her gem.
You and Ana were the only two people capable of protecting her. You kept going and running before you ended up at the helipad up the top of the building. Nene tried to catch her breath as she held her chest.
Moving forward, you walked past Ana as she shut the door while you stopped before Nene.
"I looked through Amane's memories. The Hiroshima girls were offered your head along the other executives," you said as the cold December breeze blew behind you, "But there was someone on the other end. Someone from Hokkaido which instigated this whole thing. Do you know who it is? Do you have an idea?"
Nene raised her head as she shook it, "I... It's not impossible. But someone could have found out. But the meeting was just between me and the other executives. Just us... And my superiors... And I know they wouldn't off me. What would be the point?"
"I can't have motives yet. But the Hiroshima girls were in it for the prestige. The culprit couldn't have done it for that, no," you said as you shook your head.
Ana grimaced as she said, "We can't think about that now. We need to get Lady Shimazu out of here."
"Agreed. However," you said as you turned to Nene meeting your gaze, "I want you two to do something for me."
Ana blinked at that before frowning, "What? Th-This isn't the time for that!"
"I want you two to chuckle for me," you requested as you glanced between them.
Nene stared at you then with wide eyes while Ana gave you a look of disbelief. The wind blew overhead and the cold air sunk its chill in your flesh.
And so Nene uttered an amused chuckle. She cracked a smile despite the situation and held her side.
"Haha... Oh... Looks like you figured something out. Well? Do as she says, An-" Nene wasn't able to finish her words as a knife found itself on her chest.
She staggered back and held her chest before the knife crackled with moonlit energy. Nene cried out in pain before falling down her knees as the knife disintegrated on her front. She gasped in pain but was rendered unable to move.
Dashing in, you clashed a few gears of yours against Ana's knives. You then created a larger wheel and sent it spinning towards her. Ana flourished her hand as the long hands of a clock swung by her side to smack the gear.
"You're memory is pretty good, GriefBorne," Ana said as she stood before you in her magical girl outfit of a combat maid.
You knelt down Nene's side as you observed her Gem. It was safe but you tucked it away to keep it from stray shots.
"No matter. It ends here. This'll teach you about treating us as expendable, Milady," Ana said as she held up the hem of her skirt and bowed.
Nene looked tearful as she gasped, "Wh-What?"
"You're at the wrong side of this, GriefBorne. I'm not the one you should be hostile with. It's that girl and her ilk of executives," Ana said as she raised her hand, "We won't be subjected to the unfairness of their system."
"So... This is your rebellion? Having the executives killed by Hiroshima? And then what? Offing them yourself?" You asked as you got up and got between her and Nene.
"Call it a formal complaint. Hokkaido, Kyoto, Hiroshima, and even Tokyo. There's just too many damned Magical Girls," Ana said as she met your gaze, "And among the hundreds of unfortunate girls there were those that too advantage of circumstances to create their own system, just as twisted as the Incubator's. I'm going against the rotten leadership getting us all killed at the bottom."
You stared at her unfazed as you simply clenched your fists. Ana looked at you and lowered her hands.
She shook her head and sighed, "You know it too. Think back, there should have been a time where this system treated you unfairly. No, even now you're being used. You're happily letting yourself be led by the chain. That's not living, GriefBorne. If you don't do anything, you'll forever be their slave."
You parted your lips and asked, "So is this how you seek to justify your actions? People died."
"And you think these leaders of ours haven't made decisions that led to people's ruin?! I've seen good girls, magical girls that were left to Witch because the powerful and strong were catered to first! The weak couldn't survive, not if they're blessed with some use!" Ana snapped at you as she grit her teeth, "The deaths of the executives here will be my first step."
"But does that make it right? Is it not evil but good?" You asked her with a narrowed look.
"If hundreds are killed to preserve the lives of a few would that be good to you? Or would ending the lives of the powerful for the betterment of others be evil?" Ana said as she flashed her knife at you, "These slimy executives and their empty calls for peace. In the name of a so called 'future'. I'll topple it all."
"Ana..." Nene whispered as she looked up from the ground.
You faced Ana as you loosened your tie and tossed it aside.
Mastermind
[] "It doesn't change a thing. You're under arrest for homicide, rebellion and attempted homicide. I'm taking you in, Criminal."
[] "It's the not first time someone questioned my position. And you will not be the last. I'll make sure you end up like the rest of them."
[] "I knew maids were evil."
[] Write in...